Delhi engg college hired unqualified staff: probe

Mallica Joshi,
New Delhi

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Updated: Aug 28, 2014 02:31 IST

An enquiry committee, set up to look into the complaints of irregular appointments at Delhi Technological University (DTU), has revealed in its report that the institution hired seven teachers who did not possess the requisite qualifications.

Its probe has also revealed that there were several other candidates who met the requirements but they were not even called for interviews.

The enquiry was ordered by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung after teachers at the university alleged that the administration had hired teachers who did not possess the requisite qualifications for the posts of professors and associate professors in 2012. Vice Chancellor PB Sharma was sent on leave to ensure a fair enquiry.

As per the report, in one case, the selection body treated a candidate’s MSc Marine Engineering degree equivalent to MSc Mechanical Engineering/Automobile Engineering degree. He was called for the interview but did not join.

In another case, a candidate who was not cleared by the scrutiny committee as he had not secured a first division in undergraduate studies was selected and continues to teach at the institute.

According to the report, one candidate who did not meet the minimum eligibility criteria was called for an interview at the insistence of the Vice Chancellor.

“The inquiry committee finds it unacceptable that prescribed essential qualifications and relevant experience as advertised should have been selectively relaxed in the aforementioned cases, whereby not only have these candidates been irregularly called for interviews but also selected,” the report states.

The report, however, does not just talk about irregular selections but also rejections. As per the report, in 2012, the committee scrutinised a sample of 50 applications of a pool of 300. Of these 50, three applications should not have been rejected as they appeared to fulfill all requirements, the report states.

The report was submitted to the Department of Higher Education in late July. The teachers are now demanding for a more thorough enquiry of all 2012 appointments. “There are more cases of gross violations. We demand a more in-depth enquiry,” said a teacher on the condition of anonymity.